All right, 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. How important is the Word of God? Can you put a qualifying factor on it? It is the only way that we have, if we just sang in some of these songs, you know, the only way that we have of knowing God. You cannot go anywhere else to find out what God says You can't go anywhere else to find out what His will is. You can't go anywhere else to find out what His characteristics are. You can't find out His attributes anywhere else. You cannot find out anything about God anywhere except in His Word. But isn't that logical? If you want to find out something about another person, what do you do? I'm talking about if you really want everything just right, just as it really is, then you find out from that person. And you can go to somebody else and they can give you what their impressions are of another person. But they cannot tell you exactly what that person is and like. And it's even more so with God because nobody has ever seen God, right? Nobody has ever been his counselor. So the only thing that we have to tell us about God is His Word. He is the way, the truth, and the life. His Word is eternal because He is eternal. It is pure because He is pure. So how important is the Word of God? yeah it's uh well i'll tell you what we can do we can go back to the 19th psalm and i believe we find exactly what it says there He says in verse six, or seven rather, the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." And then he says, "'More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is our servant mourned, and in keeping of them there is great reward.'" Now, we could go to other scriptures, of course, and find out what it says even more than that. How important is the Word? And if it is this important, how necessary is it that it be kept here? There's no way of putting a measure on that, is there? Except that it is by his word that salvation comes. So why should we be concerned then about what is going on in the world today in all of the changes that are being made to God's Word. 1 Thessalonians then, chapter 2, once again the apostle writing to the church at Thessalonica. says, For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when ye receive the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. So he kind of puts it in perspective there, doesn't he? It is that which worketh effectively, effectually, in us that believe. But it is received not as the word of men, but as it is the word of truth. Now, once again, we even read this morning, did we not? Man does not live by bread alone, but by what? Every word that cometh from the mouth of God. Every word. Once again, that agrees with all scriptures given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction, and righteousness. that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work. And so even the argument, let alone whether this is the Word of God or not, or what is the Word of God, which translation, quote, unquote, is the Word of God, we also need to understand that every word. Well, you know, we just change a few words. Well, then you have already failed to have the necessity of being to make you perfect under every good work. Just change a few words, what difference does it make? Except that it gives them justification for what they do. So, It is the Word of God. This is what the Apostle Paul is saying, that what he is preaching is the Word of God. It's not the Word of men. It is proclaimed by men, but it is not the Word of men. Again, we know that over in the first chapter of the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul warns Daniel those people and us, that if anyone comes preaching another gospel than what they have received, let him be anathema. Even if an angel from heaven proclaims it, the angels in heaven do not have the authority to change God's Word? And how much less do we have any authority to change God's Word, but at the same time, what reason is there to change God's Word? Sometimes I wonder if these people that are doing these new translations, do they think that they're smarter than God? Do they think that they can make his word plainer? Yeah, they do. That's one of the big reasons that they give, is to make it more understandable, make it easier for people to understand what God has said. And then, of course, we looked at the 138th psalm, at least verse 2 of that 138th psalm, and we find out how jealous God is, if I can use that term, over His Word. The psalmist says, I will worship toward thy holy temple and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth. That's how much the psalmist thought of the name of God. That's how much God thinks of his name. But then, for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. Now, how many people know the term God. Yeah, everybody on earth. Not a single, single solitary one that doesn't. But does that tell them who he is? It's his word that tells who he is. What he is. And so, if we look at these things, this is why we get so grieved and disturbed about all of these changes that are taking place. And some of them, yes, it doesn't appear, once again, that it makes a whole lot of difference, but we have to be careful there Because again, we can get smarter than God. You understand what I mean? Not really, but we think we can. If we can change what He has said, then we better be careful. But we know that those grievous changes that have been made, in other words, first of all, the denial of the creation. of how the creation came about. And, of course, many people don't think it matters. Some of them, a lot of them, in fact, have made this compromise. They said, well, you know, we know or we believe that God created. He just used evolution to do it. Of course, many of them just flat out deny the creation by God at all, and actually, and in fact, evolution denies the creation of God, or by God. So we know such as things as that. We've already talked about the virgin birth, and the necessity of Christ being born of a virgin, because if he's not born of a virgin, then there's the question of the purity. But all of these kind of changes, of course, are made to, as the psalmist says, I believe it's the 62nd Psalm, is it? They only consult together to cast him down from his excellency? So many then of the scriptures that they change are changed for the very purpose of denying the almighty power of God and denying the blood redemption. So we could go through, and again there are thousands of changes that are made. In fact, of course, you know, who has gone through and compared every new translation, every word to our King James Bible? Well, nobody that I know of has ever done that. I don't know whether you could do that or not. Almost be an impossibility. There's so many of them, and they're so varied. But we do know this, that the more translations that they come to, the worse it gets. It never gets closer to the old King James Bible, but it just always deteriorates. It gets worse and worse. But that's what sin does, doesn't it? It never gets better. In any instance, sin never gets better. It always goes downhill. But as we look at this, again, there's thousands and thousands of changes that have been made to what we call the King James Bible, the one that we believe and trust and the one that we have found through centuries of use to be accurate, reliable. I had a lot we've already gone through and saw some of those changes. I had a big list of them. But I don't really think it's necessary for us to try to go through all of those different words and phrases that have been changed. It's enough for us to simply know and understand that God doesn't change. And if there is a God, as we believe and know is certain, then there has to be a Word of God. The Word of God. So in both cases, it's only one, isn't it? It's the word of God. It's just a word of God because there's not another one. Yeah. What he said. So we believe that and rejoice in it. And it is our praise and our confidence, and we don't really have any other, do we? But we don't need any other. But then, I did want to just for us to think just for a few minutes, there's not only the direct changing of the word, but then there is the interpretation of it. What did God mean? Now realize that there are again many cases in the scriptures where there's questions For instance, is that Antichrist? Is he going to be a man? Is that going to be a man? Or is it the Spirit? Well, you know, the only way that I know how to interpret the Scripture is First of all, by simply believing what it says. In other words, in 2 Thessalonians, this is where we read. Verse 3 of chapter 2, let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition." Well, where else is that term, son of perdition, applied? Isn't that what God called Judas? And was he a man? Yeah, he was a man. He was a living, breathing, individual person. But we go on. Who opposeth and exalteth. What's the next word? Himself. Personal pronoun, isn't it? above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he..." That sounds pretty definite, doesn't it? "...so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not that when I was yet with you, I told you these things, and now we know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work." Now, we know that the mystery of iniquity is already working, but the question is, has that man of sin that we're going to read about in the next verse or two there, has that man of sin been yet revealed? Now that man of sin doesn't necessarily have to be revealed for the mystery of iniquity to already be working. For instance, again, as John writes in 1 John chapter 2, you've heard that Antichrist should come, but already, right, are there many Antichrists. But does the fact that there are already many antichrists, does that mean that there is not one that is the antichrist? Yeah. So, but my point is again, all I know to do until somehow the scripture itself reveals to me difference, all I know to do is to take each word of this Bible to be the truth. And to take each word at its face value. Now again, the context will oftentimes reveal to us that it is meant to be a figure of speech, that it's meant to be a type, a shadow, but unless that context reveals that without any doubt, then all I know to do is to take it at its face value. But then we go on again in verse 7, for the mystery of iniquity doth already work, only he who now let it. Now who is the he here? Is that a person? Well, it's the It's not a person like you and I, but it is the Holy Ghost. It is the very Spirit of God that is withholding all of this. And again, that pronoun there is He. We don't understand that as the Spirit of the thing. We understand it as the person of the Holy Ghost. So only he who now liveth will that, until he be taken out of the way, and then shall that wicked be revealed." Now, interestingly enough, in our King James Bible, that word wicked is what? Yeah, it's uppercase. It's capitalized, which indicates what? It's a proper name. proper noun. It's a person. Now, truly again, there's going to be a spirit within him, isn't there? And that spirit is already going abroad in the day that the apostle wrote this, but nevertheless that doesn't stop him from being a person. Now again, why am I saying all of this? I'm saying this, again, to point out that the only way I know to take the scripture is at its face value. In other words, again, when the Bible says that God created the heaven and the earth, how do I take that? It's just exactly what it says. And how simple is that? How simple can it be to understand that? Now, again, we may have some questions about, well, who is the beast in, for instance, Revelation 13, and who is the false prophet, and so on and so on. And who are the two witnesses in Revelation chapter 11? And, you know, these types of things we certainly may not understand, but one thing we do understand, for instance, there's going to be two witnesses. We may not know who they are, we may not be able to identify them, but we know there's going to be two witnesses. We know that there's going to be these beasts. And so on and so forth as we go along. But how many of those things are there as compared to those things that are so simply understood? about the scriptures. How difficult is it to understand that God on the sixth day created man, making him out of the dust of the earth and breathing into his nostrils the breath of life. Now people may not believe that, but you don't have any trouble understanding what that says, right? But the same thing is true all the way through the Bible. How difficult is it to understand thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy soul? How difficult is it to understand? Thou shalt have no other gods before me. How difficult is it to understand? The seventh day shall be holy. Thou shalt remember the seventh day to keep it holy. Is that difficult to understand? Well, I believe that means you know, this, or I believe it's, you know, God's just abolished all of that. Well, it does not say that. God doesn't say that. Yes, that's true. But is that what God said? No. All of that gets into interpretation. But it's man's interpretation. It's not God's interpretation. And how about all the rest of those Ten Commandments. How difficult are they to understand? It's not the understanding. It's what I'm saying. It's not the understanding of what the Bible says. In fact, the very main reason that people want to change this Bible is because they do understand it. Yeah, they're at enmity with God, and so what better way for these people that hate God to, first of all, clear their own conscience, or really what they're doing is to sear their conscience over. And what better way for them to do that than to take what God says out of the Bible and either first maybe leave it blank or insert their own words in there. But if there is one God, and there is only one God, then there is and can be only one word. And if God is not powerful enough to preserve that word in the language of his people, then he's not powerful enough, certainly he's not powerful enough to raise himself from the dead. But that's just it. If they can ever create doubt in the minds of people that this is the Word of God, then they've got the battle won. But here is the thing. This is not happening by chance. It's happening because, first of all, if we would go and we won't do that because we all know that that passage of scripture in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, it continues there. What is it saying? It is saying, telling us that God is going to send a strong delusion because they believe not the truth, and he's going to cause them to believe a lie. So, you know, this is not happening by accident, and it's not taking God by surprise, and it's not something that he can't do anything about. It's all according to His purpose in bringing to a close this thing called time. And to usher in for His people, or I should say usher into, or let me get it right here now. to take his people and usher them into eternity. And in essence, what we're saying again is that these things must be. But it's not to the detriment of his people, it is to the benefit, the profit of his people. There is a sifting going on. There is a separating going on. There is a separating of the precious and the vile. There is a shaking going on. And this word yet once more signify the removing of those things which cannot be shaken, that those things that cannot be shaken might remain. So, actually, in the one hand, where it grieves our souls to see how that they are doing injury, as it were, to the Word of God. Yet, on the other hand, we ought to be rejoicing, because it's only through these things that there's going to finally come a new heaven and a new earth. We are seeing the full film of the Word of God and it is a witness and a testimony to the truth of it. How beautiful is that word of God. It is absolutely amazing. But we're told again that, in fact we just studied it in the book of Amos, didn't we? That time is coming when they're going to What does he say? Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, saith the Lord God. How many times is such statements of that made in the scriptures? That I will, I will, I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. and they shall wander from sea to sea and from the north even to the east they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and what else and they shall not find it now again we know the promise of God seek and ye shall fine, but who is he speaking to? He's speaking to his people. But once again, the vast majority of this world is not men for them to find and seek it as they will. And because of the innate knowledge that there is a God and that there must be worship. They are doing exactly what the Bible says. They are going from sea to sea, from coast to coast. They're digging in the earth. They're looking everywhere. Why do you think they're trying to find Noah's Ark? Why are they trying to find the Ark of the Covenant? Why do they want to rebuild the temple? Why do they want to do all of these archaeological explorations? Why do they want to do all of these things that they're doing? They're seeking the Word of God. They're trying to prove God. They're trying to prove the Word of God. But every bit of it just works the opposite. The more that they seek, the less do they believe. It reminds you of the Jews again. What sign dost thou give us? Right? No sign shall be given to you except that of Jonah, as he was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale. Yeah, they want proof. Yeah, they can't have any faith if they don't find these artifacts and all that stuff. So, it just goes on and on, doesn't it? I can't find one of these anymore. That fellow built all of this. I don't think Kentucky has one of these anymore. You know, I didn't know they had such a great noise. They were throwing little cages in there and stuff like that. Well, I can't say anywhere else on earth that they've discovered that 1,000-meter-long uh... uh... uh... uh... Well, the point is, though, that we do not need those things. We know that Jesus walked the earth. We know that he was here, and we know how long he was here. And we know what he said when he was here. We know how he taught his disciples when he was here. And we know that he ascended into the heavens. And we know that he sits there right now on the throne of God and he reigns right now. And he will reign and must reign until all enemies are put under his feet. And so we know all of these things without all of this extra biblical activities and words. All it proves that there was history. That's all it proves. But we have everything that we need right here. And if you can't believe this, it's just like Jesus told them, but if one come back from the dead, they'll believe. No, one did come back from the dead. And do they believe? No. So, again, how important is it to us that this Bible be true? It is our life, isn't it? It's our salvation. But we do believe it. And it's the only thing that we believe. How many times again have they found stuff that supposedly, not only some of them confirmed supposedly, but some of them cast doubt. But what difference does it make? The only thing that's going to save us is the faith of Jesus Christ believing this word and so we give thanks right for the faithfulness of God and for his power to keep his word and keep it Yeah, and that's true. Wouldn't do us any good if we couldn't read it, would it? But again, God wasn't surprised that there was different languages on the earth, was he? No, in fact, he created it. And so he also sends the gospel to his people wherever they are and in whatever country, whatever nation. It doesn't matter, but it does matter whether it is the word of God or not. Yeah, that started out on Pentecost, didn't it? But they've tried to destroy all of that. One... And how many times is that repeated, if not in those exact words, then in many other ways of saying it. But that's our hope. And so we believe these things, and may God give us grace that we believe them in the sense that we are obedient to them. And God is our preserver. And he does that by preserving His Word. All right, number 169. The psalm says, Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.